Continuing on from last month's theme we are closing out the year with a tour of a great winter style from German; the Dunkel. While it can be used to describe any dark beer (dunkel is the German word for dark) there is a prescribed sub-style based out of Bavaria using dark toasted malt and lager yeast to make clean, round beers with moderate to low hop bitterness and notes of nuts, fresh baked bread, toffee, licorice, and chocolate, without ever veering into dark roasted coffee, spice, or fruit. This style can be considered one of the first in the world to be codified and regulated, as most beers of the time of the first purity laws enacted by the Holy Roman Empire in Munich and Bavaria were proto-dunkel dark lagers. Dunkels are all malt forward but can range from Dark amber and slightly hoppy (Negra Modelo is a Munich style dunkel) to rich dopplebocks and hefeweizens. Most Dunkels are also relatively low in alcohol and pair nicely with grilled sausage, pork chops, and mushrooms as well as hearty stews and game dishes.
Prost!
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Andechs Dopplebock Dunkel |
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Andechs, Germany |
Brewery Notes: Soft roasted malt notes and a touch of dried fruit accompany an accentuated caramel aroma. Full-bodied and velvety, strong but with a pleasant malt aroma. It has a readily discernible sweetness accompanied by roasted cocoa notes and a slight hop bitterness. With a strong finish, the Doppelbock ends on a lasting, semi-sweet chocolate note. |
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$4.99 per bottle |
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Armistice Funcle Dunkel |
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Califorinia, USA |
Brewery Notes: A rich and toasty dark lager that’s redolent of toasted bread crusts with a hint of malt sweetness. |
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$4.99 per bottle |
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Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel |
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Bavaria, Germany |
Brewery Notes: Dark with a golden-brown gleam when held up to the light, and with a warm aroma and malty taste, while summoning up coffee taste sensations on going down. It is brewed from five types of malt (two of which are torrified dark), and it is only lightly hopped. |
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$4.99 per bottle |
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Fair State Brewing Key to Happiness |
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Minnesota, USA |
Brewey Note: A traditional German style of beer that’s not often available in the US. Dark, malty, and crisp. |
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$3.99 per bottle |
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Original Pattern Brewing Door To Nowhere Munich Dunkel |
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California, USA |
Light and crisp with notes of toast, cocoa, and root beer |
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$4.99 per bottle |
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Schonramer Altbayerisches Dunkel |
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Petting, Germany |
Brewey Note: Roasted malt aromas and scents of fresh farmer's bread dominate. When you first drink it you taste bread, then chocolate, followed by licorice and a pinch of vanilla in a full-bodied slightly bitter aftertaste. |
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$5.99 per bottle |
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